>> THIS WEEK ON OFF THE RECORD, IF YOU'RE AT LEAST 16, WELL, IT'S YOUR TURN FOR A VACCINE.

NORTH CAROLINA LOOSENING THE RULES FOR COVID SHOTS IF YOU CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT.

AND CMS ALSO LOOSENS THE RULES ON IN-PERSON LEARNING.

JUST AS EVERYBODY RETURNS FROM SPRING BREAK.

THE KIDS ARE READY, SO ARE THE SCHOOLS READY?

HOTELS FOR THE HOMELESS.

CITY SPENDING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CORONAVIRUS TO HELP KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR LEDS INSTEAD OF A TENT.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, REACTION!

THE CAROLINAS WAITING IN THE WINGS IF FILM AND TV PROJECTS IN GEORGIA EXIT STAGE LEFT.

AND A YORK COUNTY MASS MURDER SUICIDE LEAVES SIX DEAD IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

A STATE WITH A GUN DEBATE OFTEN SIDES AGAINST GUN CONTROL.

PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK NEXT ON PBS CHARLOTTE.

[ THEME MUSIC ] ♪♪IC >> HI.

I'M JEFF SONNIER AND WE'RE OFF THE RECORD TALKING ABOUT THE STORIES YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK AND IF YOU WATCHED THE NEWS, READ THE NEWS AND LISTEN TO THE NEWS, WELL, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE NAMES AND FACES AROUND OUR VIRTUAL TABLE.

DEDRICK RUSSELL FROM WBTV AND ASHLEY FEIGH FROM THE CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL ANDNE ELOY FROM THE UNC BUSINESS INSTITUTE.

YOU CAN JOIN IN ON THE CONVERSATION, JUST EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO OFF THE RECORDN AT WTVI.ORG.

THANKS, EVERYBODY, FOR BEING HERE THIS WEEK.

AND THIS WEEK, YOU KNOW, I GOT MY SHOT.

I'M WAY PAST 16.

BUT YOU KIND OF GET THE SENSE THAT DESPITE STILL FEAR OUT ST THERE, STILL RELUCTANCE OUT THERE, SOME MIXED MESSAGING THAT THERE'S THAT COLLECTIVE SENSE THAT AFTER ALL THESE MONTHS, WE'RE KIND OF COMING OUT OF THIS THING.

ARE YOU ALL GETTING THE SAME FEELING AS YOU GO AROUND TOWN TALKING WITH FOLKS ON YOUR STORIES?

ANYBODY?

>> YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

[LAUGHTER] ABSOLUTELY.

PEOPLE CAN SAY THAT THEY'RE BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND PEOPLE ARE PUSHING THAT HAVING THE VACCINE IS ONENE STEP CLOSER TO NORMALCY.

SO YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE POLL OUT THERE WHERE PEOPLE ARE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE NOW WITH GETTINGLE THE VACCINE AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT, YES, THAT ONCE I GET THE VACCINE, I WILL ASK SOMEBODY AND ENCOURAGE AND MOTIVATE SOMEBODY ELSE TO GET THE VACCINE AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE AT WBTV, AND SOMEONE SAID THEY ACCREDIT IT TO THAT IT'S FAST AND SLOW AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE THEY SAID, HEY, WE STARTED ADMINISTERING THESE SHOTS BACK IN DECEMBER , FOUR MONTHS AGO, AND LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE NOW.

NOW THE VACCINE IS OPEN TO THOSE 16 AND ABOVE AND SO PEOPLE NOW ARE GETTING A SENSE OF WE WERE THERE AT THE VACCINATION SITES TALKING TO PEOPLE AND PEOPLEEOP ARE SAYING YES, I'M GOING.

THE INTERESTING THING IS I'M DOING IT FOR ME BUT I'M ALSO DOING IT FOR MY FAMILY BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE MY GRANDPARENTS.

I WANT TO KEEP-- BE HEALTHY FOR MY KIDS.

YES, I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THAT NORTH CAROLINA HAS GOTTEN THIS FAR, MORE THAN 5.2 MILLION DOSES ALREADY ADMINISTERED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.

SO THEY SET IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

WE HAVE NOT CROSSED THE FINISHED LINE.

EVERYBODY SAYS FIVE-YARD LINE, SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T BITE THE BALL.

EVERYBODY GET A TOUCHDOWN, RIGHT?

>> NOW THAT WE'RE AT 16 AND UP ELIGIBILITY, I THINK IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, YOU KNOW, HOW THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE KIND OF PLAYS OUT.

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW UP UNTIL THIS POINT ESSENTIALLY THAT THE DEMAND HAS OUTSTRIPPED SUPPLY BUTUT AS THE SUPPLY RAMPS UP AND MORE PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE, THE GOVERNOR DID SAY THIS WEEK THAT WE MIGHT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS SEE THE OPPOSITE TREND SORT OF OCCUR ACROSS THE STATE, AND I THINK WE'LL GET A CLEARER PICTURE OF JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ADAMANTLY ARE NOT GOING TO GET THE VACCINE AND HOW THAT MAY PLAY INTO POTENTIAL HERD IMMUNITY ANDND WHAT KIND OF PERCENTAGES WE MAY SEE.

UNTIL THIS POINT, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN'S APPOINTMENT AS ALL OF US KNOW FIRSTHAND AND FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE.

THAT TREND AND THAT PROBLEM MAY START TO CHANGE AND NOW IT'S MAKING SURE IN TALKING TO PEOPLE FED KATEING PEOPLE ABOUT THE VACCINE AND SEEING , YOU KNOW, WHAT KINDS OF HESITANCIES ARE STILL OUT THERE.

>> WITHIN THOSE STATEWIDE NUMBERS THAT DEDRICK MENTIONED, THERE'S ENCOURAGING TRENDS.

ALMOST THREE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLER AGED 65 PLUS ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY VACCINATED.

TWO-THIRDS OF THE POPULATION, AGED 65 PLUS IN NORTH CAROLINA, IS FULLY VACCINATED, AND THOSE ARE PEOPLE A WHO, YOU KNOW, TEND TO BE THE MOST VULNERABLE WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF DEATHS AND SEVERE ILLNESS.

I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON WE HAVE SEEN IN NORTH CAROLINA THE ROLLING AVERAGE OF DAILY DEATHS REALLY JUST PLUMMET.

MUCH MORE STEEPLY THAN WE HAVE SEEN AVERAGE CASE NUMBERS, EVEN HOSPITALIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, DEATHS, THE MOST SEVERE AND OBVIOUSLY WORSE OUTCOME HAVE DECLINED VERY SHARPLY.

THERE ARE STILL SOME CONCERNING DATA IN THERE.

I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION GAPS WITH MORE WHITE PEOPLE BEING VACCINATED, DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE POPULATION, SO I THINK THAT ASHLEY IS RIGHT.

THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE BOTH, YOU KNOW, WHO IS STILL REALLY HESITANT OUT THERE AND ALSO AND WE'LL NEED TO SEE SOME CONCERTED EFFORTS TO PUSH E THE VACCINE AND AVAILABILITY TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO REALLY CLOSE THOSE GAPS AND GET US CLOSER TO 100%.

>> IT'S SO INTERESTING DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE.

YOU KNOW, WE DID A STORY THIS WEEK WHERE ROWAN COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A THOUSAND SHOTS AVAILABLE BUT ONLY HALF THE PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO GET THE SHOT.

SO THEREFORE, YOU HAD VOLUNTEERS CALLING PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE SHOTS AVAILABLE.

IF YOU COME DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET THE SHOT.

SO SOME OFT THE HEALTH PEOPLE, THEY WERE KIND OF CONCERNED BECAUSE, YOUHEY W KNO, HERE YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, SLOTS AVAILABLE BUT THEN WHEN YOU GO TO ANOTHER SIDE OF TOWN, THERE ARE NO SLOTS AVAILABLE.

IT'S INTERESTING AND IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT.

>> I THINK ANOTHER INTERESTING ASPECT OF THE DATA HERE IS WHERE MECKLENBURG COUNTY SPECIFICALLY FALLS WHEN YOU COMPARE TO OTHER LARGE COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE.

BY PERCENT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEHIND SOME OF THE LARGER ONES AND TALKING TO COUNTY OFFICIALS THIS WEEK, IT SEEMS THAT BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, ON THE BORDER, SOUTH CAROLINA ON THE BORDER AND THE RURAL COUNTIES, SO MANY FOLKS COMING TO GET THE VACCINE HERE OR WHO WORK HERE AND ARE VACCINATED HERE AND LIVE IN ANOTHER RURAL COUNTY OR LIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, IT'S IMPACTING THE NUMBERS OFAC HOWTIN MECKLENBURG COUNTY MEC SPECIFICALLY IS DOING IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE COUNTY IS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH WAKE AND SOME OF THE OTHER LARGE COUNTIES AS, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY INCREASES AND AS MORE PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE, TOO >> I THINK THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING-- EVERYONE 16 PLUS ELIGIBLE, I THINKHIN WE'RE IN A REALLY FORTUNATE POSITION.

YOU KNOW, I'M FROM THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA.

AND I HAVE FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN D.C. WHO ARE STILL JUST WAIT, WAITING, WAITING.

THAT JUST UNDERSCORES REALLY , YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF WEIRDNESSW, WE WOO HAVE SEEN THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC WHERE I HEARD IT DESCRIBED THAT WE'RE IN THE SAME STORM BUT WE'RE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT.E NORTH CAROLINA WITH THIS VACCINE ELIGIBILITY, YOU KNOW, I'M PERSONALLY VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

>> AND THEN ONE THING WE SHOULD SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING NOW THAT IT'S OPEN TO 16 AND ABOVE, PEOPLE HAVE P ASKED, DO I NEED MY PARENTS' PERMISSION IF I'M 16 YEARS OLD TO GET THAT VACCINE?

AND THE ANSWER IS NO.

SO 16, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN DRIVE, YOU CAN DRIVE TO THE VACCINATION SITE AND YOU Y DON'T HAVEOU TO GET YOUR PARENTS' PERMISSION TO DO THAT.

INK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID AND PEOPLE AND PARENTS NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THAT.

>> ONE THING I NOTICED AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THE YOUNGER AGES BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE, YOU KNOW, UP UNTIL NOW AND IN PARTICULAR WITH SENIORS, THE SENSE YOU GOT WAS GET THE VACCINE TO STAY SAFE, TO STAY HEALTHY.

AMONG THE YOUNGER FOLKS THAT ARE NOW ELIGIBLE, I'M HEARING MORE OF I WANT TO BE MOBILE.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FLY.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND BY GETTING THE VACCINE, IT OPENS THE DOOR AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONS MAYBE.

SAME OUTCOME P THAT IS THAT FEWER FOLKS ARE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED AGAINST THE DISEASE.

I GUESS WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THAT SHOT IN THE ARMER IS A POSITIVE THING AND THE OVERALL LOOK OF THIS.

A COUPLE OF QUICK TIDBITS OF INFORMATION.

22% IN NORTH CAROLINA FULLY VACCINATED SO FAR.

THE POSITIVE TEST RATE LAST WEEK WAS 5.7%, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN IT SHOULD BE, HIGHEST SINCE FEBRUARY, BUT STILL FROM WHERE WE WERE IN DEPTHS OF THIS THING.

BEST PIECE OF NEWS, NO NURSING HOME DEATHS FROM COVID IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY OVER THE PAST MONTH.

THAT'S A HUGE PLUS AND A HUGE VICTORY, I SUPPOSE, AFTER THE VACCINES AND AFTER ALL THE PROTECTIONS AND THE ISOLATION THAT THOSE SENIORS HAVE BEEN THROUGH ALL THESE MONTHS AND A LOT OF GOOD NEWS AND A LOT OF POSITIVE TRENDING, I SUPPOSE, IN THIS SITUATION.

THE SCHOOLS WILL BE BACK ON MONDAY AFTER SPRING BREAK, AND THAT PRESENTS SOME NEW CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE STUDENTS.S.

MORE IN-PERSON LEARNING BUT ALSO THAT RISK OF SPRING BREAK INFECTS AND SPIKES.

ARE WE READY FOR-- I THINK WE'RE READY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ANXIOUS TO GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.K FROM A.

HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, ARE WE READY FOR THIS, I WONDER?

>> I TALKED TO CMS OFFICIALS AND THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD WEEK.

WILL EVERYTHING GOD 00% CORRECT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NOT.

BUT AS FOR GOING INTO THIS WEEK, THEY ARE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE CORRECT NUMBER OF PPE, HAND SANITIZING STATIONS, FACE MASKS, AND THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THEY CAN DO THAT.

STARTING MONDAY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL BE GOING BACK FOUR DAYS A WEEK, MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND T FRIDAY, AND THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS N SHOWUM, YOU KNOW, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE IN THE FULL REMOTE ACADEMY AND SO NOW THAT THEY ARE GOING BACK TO MORE IN-PERSON LEARNING AND NOW THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO GO BACK INTO IN-PERSON LEARNING AND THEY SAID THERE ARE ABOUT 8,000 STUDENTS AND THESE ARE THE NUMBERS TAKEN BEFORE APRIL 1st.

8,000 STUDENTS NOW HAVE DECIDED TO GO FROM FULL REMOTE LEARNING TO IN-PERSON LEARNING SO THERE YOU HAVE MORE STUDENTS COMING BACK TO THEIN CLASSROOM.

BUT THEN ON THE FLIP SIDE, CMS TELLS ME THAT THERE ARE 6,000 STUDENTS WHO DECIDED TO GO FROM IN-PERSON LEARNING BACK TO FULL REMOTE LEARNING.

F SO 2,000 MORE STUDENTS WILL BE GOING IN.

IT IS VERY INTERESTING THAT YOU HAD 6,000 STUDENTS WHO DECIDE AND NO REASON, YOU KNOW, CMS DID NOT ASK FOR REASONS BUT IT WAS JUST INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, AND I DID TALK TO ONE PARENT AND ONE PARENT SAID THAT WHEN THE STUDENT WENT BACK FOR THE TESTING, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD INSIDE THE CLASSROOMS THERE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCE AND WHEN THEY CHAINED CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY CANNOT MONITOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AS YOU CHANGE THE CLASSROOM AND SO THE PARENT TOLD ME THAT HIS DAUGHTER JUST FELT UNCOMFORTABLE GOING FROM CLASS TO CLASS IN THOSE CROWDED HALLWAYS.

THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS.

BUT AS FAR AS CMS BEING READY, I THINK TEACHERS ARE READY BECAUSE THEY CAN BE VACCINATED NOW AND 16-YEAR-OLDS CAN GET VACCINATED.

SO I THINK THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED AND SO THE FEAR WILL DIMINISH BECAUSE OF THAT.

>> A COUPLE OF OTHER COVID ITEMS TO TOUCH ON.

THE SYMPHONY BACK ON STAGE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

FIRST TIME ANYBODY HAS BEEN ON STAGE AT THE BELK THEATER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE CAROLINA THEATER, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDER RENOVATION FOR DECADES, LITERALLY.

THEY DECIDED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE F THEATER PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH THEJE HOTEL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALONGSIDE THAT THEATER PROJECT OR ON ON TOP OF THAT THEATER PROJECTRO ISJE ACTUALLY DELAYED BECAUSEUS OFE COVID.

ASHLEY, IS THIS A LONG-TERM DELAY, OR IS THIS JUST SOMETHING TEMPORARY UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THE-- AND GET BACK TO THE TOURIST INDUSTRY BEING BACK TO NORMAL?

>> YEAH.

SO FAR, THE FOUNDATION'S BEEN PRETTY VAGUE ON WHEN THAT PROJECT MIGHT RESTART, BUT YOUTA KNOW, YOU LOOK ATT THE SECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND I CAN'T THINK OF ONE MAYBE MORE THAN HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY.

THERE'S JUST REALLY NO FINANCING FOR A LOT OF URBAN CDD, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO HOTEL PRODUCT RIGHT NOW.

I TALK TO A LOT OF HOTEL OWNERS ANDEL DEVELOPERS, ANDN WE KNOW THAT SEVERAL HOTEL PROJECTS IN UPTOWN AND SOUTH END AND DILWORTH ARE ONN PAUSE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S NO FINANCING MARKET FOR IT M RIGHT NOW.

A LOT OF CAPITAL SOURCES JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE LONG-TERM OUTLOOK LOOKS LIKE FOR SOMETHING LIKE AN UPTOWN HOTEL.

SO REALLY TBD ON THAT.

I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER ON WHEN THAT PROJECT CAN START UNTIL WE GET A BETTER SENSE FOR WHAT THAT REBOUND IN UPTOWN, THE HOSPITALITY WILL LOOK LIKE.IK >> SPEAKING OF HOTELS, THE CITY COUNCIL THIS WEEK VOTED FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE MORE MONEY TO-- FOR HOTELS FOR THE HOMELESS.

THOSE FOLKS THAT WERE EVACUATED FROM THAT TENT CITY A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

YOU KNOW, $2.1 MILLION AND IT REALLY DOES AT LEAST PROVIDE A BRIDGE, A TEMPORARY SOLUTION FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO, WHAT, MORE THAN 200 FOLKS THAT WERE IN TENTS TEN AND NOW IN HOTELS AND WEREN'T QUITE SURE HOW LONG THEY WERE STAY OR WHERE THEY GO NEXT.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS OVERALL FOR THE PROBLEM AND AT LEAST TO GIVE US SOME TIME TO WORK OUT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.

>> YEAH.

THE 2.1 MILLION YOU REFERENCED JEFF IS FOR 75 HOUSEHOLDS WHO WERE FORMERLY AT THE CAMP END AND WAS CLEARED OUT BECAUSE OF A RODENT INFESTATION AND THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING TEMPORARILY IN A HOTEL, THE HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE DISPLACED FROM THERE.

WE KNOW BY THE END OF MAY, THAT FUNDING, RUNS OUT AND THERE HAS TO BE A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION.

SO WITH THE 2.1 MILLION GOES TO, IT'S SUPPORTING 75 HOUSEHOLDS FOR RENT AND UTILITY SUBI DIDS FOR A CAREER AND WILL PROVIDE SOME COUNSELING, SOCIAL WORKERS, SUPPORT, AND DIFFERENT, I GUESS, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IF YOU WILL, TO HELP WITH CHILD CARE, MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND THAT DOES MEAN, THOUGH, 109 HOUSEHOLDS AREN'T ACCOUNTED FOR IN THAT AND SOME COUNCILMEMBERS ASKED ON MONDAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS-- WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE DISPLACED FROM THAT CAMP?

I GUESS THE RESPONSE WAS, THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES MIGHT NEEDAMIL EXTRA, MORE SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROGRAMMING AND ASSISTANCE.

SO NOT SURE-- NOT SURE WHAT BECOMES OF THAT, I GUESS, BUT IN ADDITION TO THE 2.1 MILLION, THOUGH, THEY'RE HELPING THE CITY FUNDING IS HELPING TO LEASE A HOTEL FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER OF THIS YEARF, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY TURN INTO AN ACQUISITION OF A HOTEL IN JANUARY OF 2022.

THAT'S ABOUT $2.5 MILLION AND THAT WILL HELP HOUSEOUSE ABOUT 100 HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARET FACING HOMELESSNESS.

SO COUNCILMEMBERS WERE LARGELY SUPPORTIVE OF THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM THE CARES ACT AND OTHER PROGRAMS THERE'S MONEY TO ACTUALLY DO THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN POSSIBLE BEFORE.

>> THE THING IS-- GO AHEAD, ELI.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I THINK SOMETIMES HOMELESSNESS CAN BE VIEWED AS AN INTRACTABLE PROBLEM, BUT WE'VE DONE RESEARCH AT THE YOUR URBAN INSTITUTE STUDYING THEE COUNTY'S HOUSING FIRST POLICY, AND THIS IDEA OF ACTUALLY GETTING PEOPLE IN HOUSING AND THEN PUTTING SERVICES AROUND THEM RATHER THAN REQUIRING A BUNCH OF STUFFTU IT FIRST IS ACTUALLY REALLY SUCCESSFUL.

WE FOUND AN 80% HOUSING RETENTION RATE AMONG PEOPLE WHO GOT INTO HOUSING FUNDED BY THE COUNTY AND GOT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AROUND THEM.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE MISNOMER THAT HOMELESSNESS IS THIS TRABILITY TRACTABLE PERMANENT PROBLEM AND WE KNOW SOLUTIONS DO WORK.

PROGRAMS LIKE THIS DO WORK.

WE'VE STUDIED THEM AND YOU KNOW,ND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED $5 BILLION IN NATIONAL FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS JUST LIKE THIS, SUBSIDIZING SERVICES, PLACES TO LIVEC, HOTELS, APARTMENTS AND I THINKS WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, A LOT MORE FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THIS, AND HOPEFULLY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME MORE POSITIVE RESULTS HERE LOCALLY.

I THINK WE'RE ALL KIND OF SHOCKED INTO SOME RECOGNITION AND SOME ACTION LAST YEAR JUST BY THE VISIBILITY OF THE TENT ENCAMPMENT.

>> I WASAS SAYING YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, ELI.

DON'T LET IT STOP IN DECEMBER, BUT YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP FINDING THAT MONEY IN ORDER TO ANSWER THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING CHARLOTTE FOR SO LONG.

>> PAIGE, DID YOU A STORY ABOUT THE FILM INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

POSSIBLY BENEFITING FROM ANOTHER STATE'S PROBLEMS REGARDING THE FILM INDUSTRY.

DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS WHOLE GEORGIA VERSUS NORTH CAROLINA FIGHT OVER TV AND FILM PROJECTS?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, IT'S AN INTERESTING RIVALRY BETWEEN NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA IN GENERAL.

CHARLOTTE AND ATLANTA.

AND AS GEORGIA PASSED ITS NEW VOTING LAW, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S ALREADY SEEN SOME CORPORATE BACKLASH FROM THAT, SOME OF THE PROMINENT DIRECTORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN FILMING IN GEORGIA ANY LONGER.

BECAUSE McINSURANCE'S FILM INDUSTRY IS BACK ON THE REBOUND AND STARTING TO ATTRACT MORE PROJECTS, THE REBATE PROGRAM IS PROVING TO BE A LITTLE BIT SUCCESSFUL IN ATTRACTING FILMS AND GETTING THEM MONEY TO COME HERE.

SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT NORTH CAROLINA BENEFITS FROM GEORGIA AND THE BACKLASH IS THAT MAYBE SOME FILMS COME HERE, CERTAINLY DURING HB2, WE SAW FILMS LEAVE NORTH CAROLINA AND OPT FOR GEORGIA AND OPT FOR OTHER PLACES.

THE REVERSE CERTAINLY COULD HAPPEN.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TREAD LIGHTLY.

NOT GET TOO EXCITED FOR US YET.

JUST BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY GEORGIA HAS SUCH A BIG FILM INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT HASUCTU SO MANY STOWND STAGES.

IT HAS SO MANY RESOURCES.

I THINK ANY CHANGES WILL BE GRADUAL.

IF A FEW PROMINENT FILMS COME THIS DIRECTION, THOSE SMALL CHANGES COULD LEAD TO BIG ONES IN THE FUTURE.

>> I GUESS PEOPLE CAN SPREAD THE WORD BECAUSE WEEA DID A STORY ABOUT THE O NETWORK, OPRAH OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK FILMING A SERIES CALLED DELILAH, AND NOT ONLY ARE THEY FILMING IN IT IN CHARLOTTE, THE SHOW TAKES PLACE IN CHARLOTTE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU SEE THE LANDMARKS OF CHARLOTTE.

YOU SEE EVERYTHING.

IT CENTERS RIGHT HERE IN CHARLOTTE AND ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS IS HOMEGROWN FROM CHARLOTTE, FROM WEST CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW HE SAID HE WANTED TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT CHARLOTTE.

OPRAH WINFREY AND TYLER PERRY GOOD FRIENDS.

IF OPRAH WINFREY SAYS CHARLOTTE IS GOOD AND CHARLOTTE TREATS ITS PEOPLE WELL, THEN MAYBE WE WILL GET MORE ACTION IN NORTH CAROLINA.

>> SORRY PAIGE.

>> YOU'RE FINE.

I WAS GOING TO MAKE ONE QUICK POINT IN SAYING THAT THE DELILAH FILMED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

IT'S A BIG TESTAMENT TO CHARLOTTE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GETEY THE RESOURCES,, CREW MEMBERS THEY NEEDED IN ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TIMES TO FILM.

>> YEP.

>> AND I WAS GOING TO SAY IN ADDITION TO THE FILM INDUSTRY, DURING HB2, WE ALL REMEMBER CORPORATE RELOCATION EVENTS AND ALL KINDS OF BIG SCALE CONCERTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MUCH OF THAT.

WE KNOW MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS PULLING ITS ALL-STAR GAME OUT OF ATLANTA OVER THE BILL IN GEORGIA.

YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THIS HOLDS UP.

TENNESSEE IS FACING ITS OWN BATHROOM BILL.

WHAT THAT DOES TO THE STATE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CORPORATE RELOCATION AS THEY START COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, COULD NORTH CAROLINA BE MORE COMPETITIVETI BECAUSE MAYBE WEVE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH OF THAT POLITICAL HUBBUB THAT WE DID HAVE.

>> AND THEN YOU GET SUBSIDY AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS GIVEN TO FILM PRODUCTION.N THAT'S A POLITICAL HOT POTATO BECAUSE YOU GET LIKE HOLLYWOOD, GETTING FREE MONEY AND TAX BREAKS FROM THE STATE.

THAT GETS A LOT OF PEOPLE HACKLES UP AND WHEN NORTH CAROLINA REDUCED ITS FILM INCENTIVES ABOUT A DECADE AGO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THATAT WAS AN UNPOPULAR MOVE AMONG PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SEE MORE PRODUCTIONS HERE, BUT IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO BRING BACK TAX BREAKS, ESPECIALLY BIGGER TAX BREAKS ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE IN CHALLENGING ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT GOING FORWARD.

>> I KNOW THAT POLITICALLY SOMETIMES HOLLYWOOD MONEY IS , HOLLYWOOD EAST, THAT WAS AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE IN THE FUTURE A MAJOR PART OF THEIR ECONOMY AND A BIG EMPLOYER AS WELL.

SO AGAIN, YOU HATE TO BE A POACHER.

YOU HATE TO BE THE PERSON TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S MISFORTUNE.

WE HAVE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS DISCUSSION.

SO IT'S TO BE IN THE POSITION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OFG THAT, AS YOU SAID, ASHLEY, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND LOOKING FOR NEW MONEY AND NEW JOBS AND NEW GROWTH.

>> IT'S NOT PERSONAL.

IT'S BUSINESS.

RIGHT?

>> I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES TALKING ABOUT UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN YORK COUNTY THIS WEEK.

WE SAW A PROMINENT DOCTOR AND HIS WIFE AND TWO GRANDKIDS A WORKER AT HIS HOUSE ALL MURDERED AND THE PERSON WHO PULLED THE TRIGGER SHOT HIMSELF, SIX DEAD AND ONE WOUNDED IN A MURDER DID YOUICIDE.

YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN EVEN REFERENCED THAT SHOOTING THIS WEEK AS HE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF GUN CONTROL ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

EVERYBODY SEEMS TO TAKE THEIR TURN IN THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS SERIES OF TRAGEDIES AND OUR TURN IN THE CAROLINAS, ONCE AGAIN, AND THEIN NEXT QUESTION THAT'S ALWAYS RAISED IS WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS?

YOU KNOW, HOW DO LOCAL LEGISLATORURES RELATE WHEN IT COMES TO GUN CONTROL?

ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT DID HAPPEN AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN COMING AFTERWARDS?

>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS SO TOUCHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DOCTOR TOUCHED EVERYBODY FROM THE SHERIFF ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PERSON WITH THE CHILD.

HE WAS A FIXTURE IN THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY KNEW HIM.

TO HAVE HIS LIFE TAKEN AWAY THE WAY IT WAS AND THEN HAVING THE KIDS, THE 9-YEAR-OLD AND THE 5-YEAR-OLD, I THINK THAT TOUCHES EVERYBODY'S HEART AND YOU'S KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH PRAYERS.

NOW WE NEED ACTION.

SO THE THING IS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE 300 PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE SHOT EACH DAY SO WE HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD BEFORE.

SO NOW WE HAVE TO SEE IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

I GUESS THE THING THAT REALLY HAS TO DRIVE HOME ISH THAT PEOPLE THINK THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GUN CONTROL THAT YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT AND PEOPLE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE THAT IS NOT THE CASE AND I GUESS THAT IS --E TO PREACH TO PEOPLE THAT GUN CONTROL DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE'RE TAKING AWAY A YOURWA RIGHTS.

WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE TIGHTENING SOME THINGS.

I WASN'T REALLY FAMILIAR WITH GHOST GUNS AND PEOPLE CAN JUST PURCHASE SOMETHING AND BUILD A GUN RIGHT THERE, NO MATTER YOUR AGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT SOME THINGS JUST NEED TO BE TIGHTENED UP BECAUSE WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.

>> I THINK THAT ONE ISSUE WE MIGHT SEE AND THAT'S RELATED TO THE INITIATIVE THATHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED IS THE ISSUE OF RED FLAG LAWS WHERE YOU CAN SAY I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEONE AND POLICE SHOULD TAKE FIREARMS IN THAT CASE, MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, SUICIDE CONCERNS, HOMICIDE CONCERNS, PART OF PRESIDENT BIDEN'S INITIATIVE IS TO PUBLISH SOME MODEL RED FLAGS AND THOSE ARE CONTROVERSIAL IN STATES.

ESPECIALLY STATES, YOU KNOW THAT ARE VERY PRO-GUN, BUT ONE COMMON THREAD THAT WE W SEE IN SO MANY OF THESE MASS SHOOTINGS IS MENTAL HEALTH.

I THINK WE HAVE SEEN THAT IN BASICALLY ALL THE RECENT TRAGIC EVENTS.

WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE ROCK HILL SHOOTING YESTERDAY, BUT PRELIMINARY MEDIA REPORTS, THE FATHER OF THE ALLEGED SHOOTER SAID THAT HIS SON HAD BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES WHICH RELATED TO FOOTBALL.

I THINK THAT RED FLAG LAWS, IN PARTICULAR, COULD BE ONE OF THE NEXT POLITICAL FRONTS AND GUN CONTROL FRONTS THAT WAS RAISED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THE STRING OF SHOOTINGS >> EVERYBODY, WE WILL HAVE TO LET THAT> BE THE LAST WORD THIS WEEK.

L ANOTHER GREAT DISCUSSION AND A LOT OF INTERESTING TOPICS.

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